A conventional coin processing machine as disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 7,243,774 includes a circular sorting plate. A single-layer stream of coins are introduced on an upper surface of the sorting plate, and are urged by centrifugal force against a peripheral wall extending along the outside of the plate. A rotating disk above the sorting plate has fingers that extend down and engage the coins. The fingers urge the coins circumferentially in a downstream direction around the disk, with the radially outer edges of the coins bearing against the wall.
The sorting plate has circumferentially-spaced openings adjacent the wall. Each opening extends through the thickness of the sorting plate and is associated with a specific diameter or denomination of coin. The opening is sized such that a coin of that denomination can fall through the opening and be sorted from the other coins that merely pass over the opening. When sorting coins by denomination, the openings increase in size in the downstream direction to progressively remove coins in order of increasing diameter.
A problem with a conventional coin sorting plate is that coins may not fall through an opening before striking the downstream wall defining the coin opening. This is particularly a problem when attempting to run the coin sorting machine at a relatively high speed. An upstream coin may then engage and press the coin against the wall such that the coin cannot fall through the opening, thereby jamming the machine.
Thus there is a need for an improved coin sorting plate that separates a single-layer stream of coins by diameter of coin that reduces the risk of jamming when operated at high speed.